💻 Computers & Office
How Much Does a Gaming PC Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.8¢/kWh (April 2026), a gaming pc costs about $10.63 per month at typical usage — 4 hours/day.
Per hour
8.5¢
at 300–800 W
Per day
$0.35
4 hours/day
Per month
$10.63
57 kWh
Per year
$128
679 kWh
A gaming rig with a serious GPU pulls 300–800 watts during play — several times a console. Four hours a day of AAA gaming is a real line item on the bill, comparable to running a window AC unit the same hours.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
8.5¢
Per day
$0.34
Per month
$10.29
Per year
$124
Uses 55 kWh/month at 18.8¢ per kWh.
Cheapest and most expensive states
Monthly cost at typical usage, using each state's current average residential rate.
Cost in every state
| State | Rate (¢/kWh) | Per hour | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 12.4 | 5.6¢ | $7.01 | $84.18 |
| Idaho | 12.7 | 5.7¢ | $7.18 | $86.22 |
| Nebraska | 13.3 | 6.0¢ | $7.52 | $90.29 |
| Oklahoma | 13.3 | 6.0¢ | $7.52 | $90.29 |
| Utah | 13.3 | 6.0¢ | $7.52 | $90.29 |
| Iowa | 13.9 | 6.3¢ | $7.86 | $94.37 |
| Montana | 13.9 | 6.3¢ | $7.86 | $94.37 |
| Missouri | 14.0 | 6.3¢ | $7.92 | $95.05 |
| Arkansas | 14.2 | 6.4¢ | $8.03 | $96.40 |
| Nevada | 14.3 | 6.4¢ | $8.09 | $97.08 |
| Louisiana | 14.4 | 6.5¢ | $8.14 | $97.76 |
| Washington | 14.4 | 6.5¢ | $8.14 | $97.76 |
| South Dakota | 14.5 | 6.5¢ | $8.20 | $98.44 |
| Wyoming | 14.7 | 6.6¢ | $8.31 | $99.80 |
| Tennessee | 14.9 | 6.7¢ | $8.43 | $101 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | 6.8¢ | $8.48 | $102 |
| New Mexico | 15.2 | 6.8¢ | $8.59 | $103 |
| Florida | 15.4 | 6.9¢ | $8.71 | $105 |
| Georgia | 15.4 | 6.9¢ | $8.71 | $105 |
| Arizona | 15.5 | 7.0¢ | $8.76 | $105 |
| Kansas | 15.8 | 7.1¢ | $8.93 | $107 |
| Oregon | 15.8 | 7.1¢ | $8.93 | $107 |
| West Virginia | 16.1 | 7.2¢ | $9.10 | $109 |
| North Carolina | 16.3 | 7.3¢ | $9.22 | $111 |
| Minnesota | 16.4 | 7.4¢ | $9.27 | $111 |
| Colorado | 16.5 | 7.4¢ | $9.33 | $112 |
| Mississippi | 16.8 | 7.6¢ | $9.50 | $114 |
| Texas | 17.0 | 7.7¢ | $9.61 | $115 |
| South Carolina | 17.1 | 7.7¢ | $9.67 | $116 |
| Alabama | 17.4 | 7.8¢ | $9.84 | $118 |
| Virginia | 17.4 | 7.8¢ | $9.84 | $118 |
| Indiana | 17.9 | 8.1¢ | $10.12 | $122 |
| Delaware | 18.8 | 8.5¢ | $10.63 | $128 |
| Wisconsin | 19.2 | 8.6¢ | $10.86 | $130 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 8.8¢ | $11.03 | $132 |
| Illinois | 20.5 | 9.2¢ | $11.59 | $139 |
| Michigan | 21.4 | $0.10 | $12.10 | $145 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.5 | $0.10 | $12.16 | $146 |
| Maryland | 22.1 | $0.10 | $12.50 | $150 |
| New Jersey | 23.5 | $0.11 | $13.29 | $160 |
| Vermont | 24.6 | $0.11 | $13.91 | $167 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | $0.11 | $14.36 | $172 |
| New Hampshire | 27.2 | $0.12 | $15.38 | $185 |
| Alaska | 27.4 | $0.12 | $15.49 | $186 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | $0.13 | $16.00 | $192 |
| Maine | 28.4 | $0.13 | $16.06 | $193 |
| Massachusetts | 29.5 | $0.13 | $16.68 | $200 |
| New York | 29.5 | $0.13 | $16.68 | $200 |
| Connecticut | 32.2 | $0.14 | $18.21 | $219 |
| California | 35.3 | $0.16 | $19.96 | $240 |
| Hawaii | 46.6 | $0.21 | $26.35 | $316 |
How to lower the cost
- Cap frame rates to your monitor's refresh — uncapped menus can burn maximum wattage rendering frames you never see.
- Enable GPU power-saving for non-gaming use; browsing shouldn't cost 400 watts.
- Undervolting modern CPUs/GPUs often cuts 10–20% of power at nearly identical performance.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a gaming pc use?
A typical gaming pc draws about 450 watts in use. At 4 hours/day, that works out to roughly 1.8 kWh per day, or 57 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a gaming pc for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.8¢/kWh, one hour costs about 8.5¢. In North Dakota (12.4¢/kWh) it's 5.6¢, while in Hawaii (46.6¢/kWh) it's $0.21.
How much does a gaming pc cost to run per month?
With typical usage (4 hours/day), expect about $10.63 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $7.01 in North Dakota up to $26.35 in Hawaii. Rates are as of April 2026.
Does a gaming pc use a lot of electricity?
It's a moderate load: roughly 6% of an average U.S. home's monthly consumption at typical usage. Noticeable, but not a bill-driver on its own.